Just a shower curtain!?

All I wanted was a new shower curtain for our hall bathroom (aka: the Boys' bathroom).

It had seen it's day....and our boys were growing tired of the monkeys and frogs. 

So, brilliant mom that I am....decided that for Christmas I would order them a new "BIG BOY" shower curtain, and maybe some new rugs! But then I made the mistake of telling Baileyhusband my plan.

You see, my husband has never been proud of this part of our home. He continually puts down, makes fun of, and is embarrassed of this room. "Not my best work", he explains. And to be honest, it is not our style anymore. He decided that IF we were going to get a new look in there......that we needed A WHOLE NEW LOOK IN THERE!!!

And this is Christmas morning....

.....some puzzled looks from my little guys.

In a box they received:

1. The new curtain

2. clock

3. towels

4. faucet

5. and a piece of tile (which we are now NOT using)

"Oh, we have BIG plans for this bathroom", explained their dad. While the boys were excited to see the result. I don't think they understood the magnitude of this little makeover.

Here are some "Before" shots:

The cabinets...15 yrs old....had seen better days. 4 children are being raised in this home, and this poor cabinet is proof of that! 

One day I came home to this:

 

One of several holes in the wall....yep, he can't just leave well enough alone!! According to Baileyhusband, the walls were drywalled incorrectly with shims that didn't need to be there, making the walls uneven. 

 Can you say CAN OF WORMS?? This is how almost every project goes around here....like a HUGE SNOWBALL....one thing leads to another....

and THIS is how the bathroom currently looks:

AND ALL I WANTED WAS A NEW SHOWER CURTAIN!?

~Kim

Homemade Christmas gifts

I love everything homemade, handcrafted, repurposed, reimagined....

And Christmas time is the perfect time for that!

I made these letters for my sister-in-law. We have this tradition of giving "Homemade" gifts with Baileyhusband's side of the family. And while it has been challenging in some years, this year I knew that I wanted to give letters.  These are a different take on the letters that I posted about {here.} This is their last name...and I used all found material (bark, moss, pinecones, and branches).

 But of course, being that Baileyhusband is much more talented and gifted with tools and can make just about ANYTHING....he had to show me up! Here is the table that he made for last year's gift, but it needed to cure (or dry out) for a wee bit longer than we anticipated....so his sister received it this year. And sadly, I forgot to take a picture of it actually finished! UGH!!!!

Everyone on Baileyhusband's side is very talented, and the gifts are coveted by all!
There are homemade quilts, benches made of birch, woodburned signs and pictures, mirrors, chalkboards, lamps...believe me...I love them all!!!!

And this year's gift the ever-so-talented man of mine made a beautiful (reclaimed wood) table....here it is unstained:

And the table all finished, with the sweetest little Izzy (our niece) underneath!

Believe me, I want to keep everything he makes!! That husband of mine is quite talented!! And because I'm such a good wife, and he loves me....he made me some homemade gifts this year.....

A barn-board frame for our family picture we had taken this past summer. 

This was one of 3 frames he made me. Such a sweet fella......but I secretly think he was just tired of hearing me complain that I needed frames.

Whatever the reason....this BaileyWife was happy on Christmas morning!

Now we I have been coming up with plans already for next year. I have asked my sisters if we could do a homemade Christmas too....much less costly, and MORE meaningful!  

~Kim

A Winter Wonderland (around our farm)

We already had a big blanket of snow....

when, the other day it began snowing again, and it was so beautiful....

I decided to go around our farm and take a few snapshots.....

Even though our farm is more fun in the summer, the beauty of winter is undeniable.

Hershey-girl is still the "farm-keeper", even in the cold months.

 Ken walking to the pasture to visit his ladies! :)

Our peacocks getting their adult tailfeathers...just gorgeous!

Too cold for the chickens to venture out.

And even though this windmill quit actually moving a few years back, just can't part from it!

Picture perfect shots are everywhere when the ground has fresh fallen snow

and the world seems to be still.

And lastly, our guineas, sunning themselves in the barn door, along with Dixie in her winter coat.

I am still in love with winter.....hopefully this love affair will remain until spring! Although, I CANNOT wait to  get out in my gardens and get my hands dirty....and spend more (quality) time with my animals. 

Right now, Baileyhusband has been doing most of the chores, and keeping our calves tame. Now that the holidays are over, I plan on joining in more often! 

~Kim

Word of the Year- 2013

LIGHT

Emma's ALMOST finished room {here at home}

This word will be something that I plan on focusing on in every aspect of our life here at Irishman Acres.
Home. Farm. Family. Life. It all will see the effects of LIGHT.

And while this is the beginning of a new year...and I love to make lists....here are some ways that I plan on using LIGHT in our life here at home.

 Home:

1. Lighten my workload by delegating....and then learning to LET GO.

Let go of the need to have everything perfect.

2. Work hard (at first) to organize all the behind the scene places (i.e. closets, cupboards, drawers, etc.)

I started this in 2012 and we are getting close to having it done! Our home will be able to sigh in relief....I can almost hear it!

3. Get a hold of my hoarding issues with magazines and memorabilia. PURGE, PURGE, PURGE!!

What a heavy burden all that stuff lying around can be. Organization and learning to purge will definitely give us a lighter feeling, and lessen our stress.

4. And speaking of light....I have a few home projects in the works that deal with Lighting. Can't wait to get them finished! 

In the days weeks months to come....I will show how our focus on LIGHT in our home is coming along......
(I love the idea of having a WORD to focus on!, I know I'm a home nerd )

And next time I post about our WORD OF THE YEAR, I will show "The List" for using LIGHT on our farm!

~Kim

2012-Year of CHANGE- Part 2

                                     GOOD-BYE 2012

When I gave birth for the first time (in 1994)...the year 2012 was already etched in my mind.

This would be the year that my sweet baby girl would become an adult.....

she would graduate high school....and possibly leave the comfort of my arms for that great big scary world out there!

And then it DID happen.....2012 came: she DID become an adult, she DID graduate from high school, and worst of all.......SHE LEFT MY ARMS FOR THAT GREAT BIG WORLD OUT THERE!

Her dorm room

Have I mentioned that I don't like change? 

So, 2012 was very bitter-sweet for us. BaileyHusband (as macho as he is), 

does not like change much either. 

Our family has learned how to funtion on a daily basis...but her holiday homecomings are all the more special....

Good-bye 2012....I MADE IT THROUGH YOU. 

From starting a new career path....and letting my baby girl join the world....

I have really high hopes for 2013, and hope our family and farm continue to prosper in HIS light.

Happy New Year EVERYONE! 

~Kim

2012- Year of CHANGE- Part 1

2012

This year has been a different kind of year for us. 

I started writing on this blog more regularly....and have fallen in love with all the blogs I "follow". 

But it came because I had fallen OUT of love with what I was doing with my life. It was a much needed creative outlet....and distraction.

Then, I had more time on my hands because I lost a (part-time) job that I had for many years and was completely overwhelmed with my task of finding another. Along with injuring my back around the same time by falling out of the back of my Suburban (who does that anyways?) THIS GIRL!

I was left with the knowledge that I truly didn't know what I wanted to BE or DO with my time....

If I could just make money staying home, taking care of my beautiful farm and family and home, I WOULD in a heartbeat! But that is not reality!

So this past summer, I got a job with a temp agency, and began life as a full-time working mom......and HATED every second of it. My children were home for the summer, and I WASN'T! 

Gunnar had the hardest time with it....and would cry in the morning as I left. 

One day, I held him tight and made a promise that I would NOT work another summer. And was scared to death that I had no guarentee of keeping that promise! 

As the summer drew to an end, I received a call from our local elementary school. (I had long before applied there). They had many openings and wanted to see me for an interview. 

Was this the answer to my son's request? My promise I gave him?

The interview went EXTREMELY well, I thought, and I left there with high hopes of good, steady employment. 

Good news came a couple days later!!! I am now an employee for our school! 

My official title is "Teacher's Associate". 

But my little preschoolers call me "Ms. Kim". And one semester into it, I am completely IN LOVE with 38 little ones.....and have finally found where I am supposed to be.....

....at the same school as my own children, I take them to school....bring them home....we go out for friday after-school dates to Frozen Yogurt shops.....and most of all....

.....WHEN THEY ARE HOME, SO AM I.......

{sigh}

See, sometimes change IS a good thing! But it just takes a while to reveal itself!

~Kim

Christmas Around Our Home 2012

Deck the Halls with boughs of holly....FA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA

Tis the season to be jolly.....FA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA

Don we now our gay apparel......FA LA LA  LA LA LA LA LA LA

Toll the ancient Yuletide carol.....FA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA

See the blazing Yule before us.....FA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA

Strike the harp and join the chorus.....FA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA

Our downstairs "Charilie Brown" tree...all decked out with the kids' ornaments

Follow me in merry measure......FA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA

While I tell of Yuletide treasure.....FA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA

Fast away the old year passes......FA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA

Hail the new, ye lads and lasses.....FA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA

Sing we joyous, all together......FA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA 

Heedless of the wind and weather.....FA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA

These were really the only spaces that I focused on this holiday season. Time and money constraints! But I actually like the more "simplified" theme this year....well, simplified for me anyways! :)

Besides our mantel in the Coffee Room and our front room being all Christmas-y...I let the kids decorate their own rooms for the holiday....and I showed you a pic of my son Gunnar's tree (decorated by him of course:)

While the upstairs is the style I most gravitate towards now...natural, found items....I go old-school in the basement (for the kids!)

I show my ever-growing Santa collection, and homemade gifts from years past. We DO spend Christmas morning in the basement...this is where Santa delivers his toys!! 

And here are some quick snapshots of how I chose to display our holiday cards....

burlap and clothespins of course!

I hope everyone has a MAGICAL Christmas this year!! 
I know that I can't wait to see what 2013 brings!
~Kim